


The Greatest Gift

by BottomOfTheBlackLake



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: 5 year time jump, Book and show inspirations, F/M, Fluff, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-07-10 01:44:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15939188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BottomOfTheBlackLake/pseuds/BottomOfTheBlackLake
Summary: 5 years after coming to Green Gables, Anne prepares to leave again for school. But there is an unexpected occurrence on her final morning at the farm.SPOILERS: Includes content from later points in the books, do not open if you do not wish to know facts from Anne's future.





	The Greatest Gift

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize ahead of time if I am rusty, it has been a while since I've written anything, and my first time posting to AO3! This is a one shot, but comments are still appreciated if you'd like to see more work in the future!

Five years. It was difficult for Anne to believe that it has really been five years since coming into the Cuthbert's home, and now she was preparing to leave it again! The very thought of it sent knots to Anne's stomach. Although the next chapter in her adventure was quite thrilling, going off into the world on her own to attend Queen's Academy, she was still despaired at the thought of being away from Matthew and Marilla. Along with her dearest Diana, how could she possibly be away from her bosom friend for such a time! Not to mention Gil... her other classmates.

It was a comfort at least to know she wouldn't be going entirely alone. Jane Andrews and Ruby Gillis would also be attending the program. The fact that she was pursuing an accelerated course for her teaching certificate would only mean one year away from home instead of two was also encouraging. It will seem like no time at all until she is back at her beloved Green Gables.

She gazed out of her small window, smiling at the beautiful cherry tree just outside that she had called Snow Queen in her childhood. As she reached out to touch her beautiful limbs to wish her farewell, she noticed a familiar figure coming up the path. It was Jerry Baynard! It was very early for him to be at Green Gables, the sun was still barely peaking over the horizon. 

There was an uncertainty about him, he seemed to keep shifting directions on the path. One moment he seemed to take his usual trek to the barn as to begin his morning work, the next he would be walking toward the house. There was a small parcel in his hands that he kept fidgeting with as he paced. After several minutes of this he finally decides to trudge off to the barn in a dejected manner. This was all very puzzling to Anne.

She decided that she needed to investigate this strange behavior. She hastily slipped on her robe and boots and scurried down the stairs and across the yard to the barn. As she pushed open the barn door with a creak, the french boy was nowhere in sight. She determined he must be in the loft and began to scale the ladder. As her head poked over the ledge she found Jerry sitting on a bale of hay, his head hanging low in front of him so his hair blocked his face like a curtain. Though he did not stay this way for long once he heard Anne bustling over the ledge of the loft.

"Anne!", he exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. "What are you doing out here so early?"

There was a nervousness to his voice that was so unusual, they had always been so comfortable around one another. "I could ask the same of you, Jerry. I'm afraid my thoughts would not allow me to sleep this morning, so I saw as you came in."

Jerry nodded, shifting from foot to foot as if trying to decide what to do next. Anne began to open her mouth to ask if he was alright, but before the words could come out he had turned back to the spot he was sitting to pick something up. It was the parcel she had seen him with before. He sheepishly handed it to her, his face flushed. "This is for you, Anne. I wanted you to have it before you left for school"

Anne was quite suprised as she took it from him. The parcel was very plainly wrapped with brown paper and twine, and the shape and weight of it was so familiar that Anne was immediately able to identify it in her mind. As she untied the twine and gingerly pulled back the flap of paper it was no surprise that it was a book hidden beneath. It was a worn copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. She looked at it quizzically as she turned it in her hand. "Jerry, thank you... this is a really lovely present."

He flashed a crooked smile and took a couple of steps toward her. He seemed emboldened by her response. "It was the first book I ever read, Anne." He stated to her proudly." I thought you should have it with you at school. So if you ever doubt that you will be a good teacher... you can remember you were already a great teacher to me."

Hot tears began to tug on the corners of her eyes, threatening to come streaming down her face at any moment. Anne could not remember the last time she felt so touched. It was such a thoughtful give, the perfect gift for her. Anne launched forward and pulled Jerry into a tight embrace. At first this startled the boy, but after a moment he wrapped his arms around her in return. 

This was far from the first time she had hugged Jerry Baynard, though something about it felt different this time. Maybe it was the feeling of it being a goodbye? Perhaps that was it. This embrace definitely did seem to linger much longer, and Jerry himself seemed quite different as well. He had grown so much over the years. He used to be shorter than her, now he was at least a head taller! And she could feel a soft fuzz on his cheek, not quite whiskers, though proof he would have some soon enough. For the first time she seemed to be realizing that he was not the young boy she had first met so long ago. He was only a year behind her, after all, so if she was entering womanhood then he was almost a man himself!

Anne began to withdraw, but her arms did not unwrap themselves from around his shoulders, nor did his leave her waist. Her lips parted softly, trying to find the right words to properly thank him, to express how much his gift meant to her, but no words would come. She was at a loss. Jerry also stayed stoically quiet as he looked down at her. Anne wished she knew what he could be thinking in that moment, no person had ever felt like such a puzzle to her as Jerry did in this moment. 

As Anne studied his features and tried to piece him together she suddenly realized how close his face had come to hers. Seeing how his eyes were trained on her own face made her heart jump right up into her throat. Her mind flashed back to a memory she had not thought of in quite some time, where she was sitting with the girls from her class and giggling at their musings of what it would be like to kiss a boy. Anne had plainly asked that if she wanted to kiss a boy, couldn't she just kiss him? The other girls had squealed indignantly, assuring her that was not how things were done! In this moment, though... she did not pay much mind to how things were or were not done.

Without a thought Anne leaned into Jerry, planting her lips squarely on his. He seemed as surprised by Anne's action as she was herself. Seeing that at sixteen years old this was her first kiss, she was not much experienced with the logistics. But all the same, it did not seem unwelcome. Anne felt the coil of Jerry's arms tighten around her waist as he leaned back into her. His lips were alarmingly soft. His hands had always been so rough from his work on the farm she never imagined a part of him could have such a softness.

But as soon as it had begun, just as quickly it was over. As she stepped back she could feel an immense amount of heat rising to her cheeks. Risking a glance up, Jerry seemed to have turned a dark hue of red himself, and sported a foolish grin that spread from one ear to the other. "Merci", he mumbled, nearly incoherently. It seemed so odd to be thanked for a kiss!

"I should head back to the house," Anne blurted abruptly, " Matthew and Marilla will wake soon and wonder where I am..." Jerry nodded, giving her an assured smile. She scurried back toward the ladder, but as she lowered herself down the rungs she paused just once before she dropped below. Jerry had already turned to his work, and though it may be Anne's imagination, he seemed to have an extra spring in his step.

She ran all the way into the house, arriving back to her small room completely breathless. When she arose from bed that morning, she never imagined what a turn of events would occur. Never would she have thought that the events of her last day would be as eventful as her very first. Anne slid down the closed door behind her, sinking all the way to the floor and letting out a deep sigh. Her eyes flashed open, taking in the room around her as if it were the first time again.

What a life she has built here. What an incredible life.


End file.
